It’s really tough to explain to someone who has never seen a rig before. We drill holes, but it’s more than that. It ain’t for everybody, especially not the faint of heart. But I will say its possibly the funnest career out there. Knowing that the gas in your truck could be coming from a well that you drilled. Or the look on people’s face when you tell them what you do.

What does your work entail?

Basically, we’re hired by companies like Exxon/Mobil and Shell to drill holes in the ground to get to fossil fuels buried in the earths crust. There’s a thousand other details that go into making a 22,000 ft deep hole, though. But these details are for the driller to worry about. The heirarchy of a rig is the toolpusher at the top, he keeps the rig supplied with what we need to keep it and us running and makes final decisions if one can’t be made by the crew or driller.

Below him is the driller, he is kind of like a crew leader. He sits in a chair and runs the rig how the ompany man and directional drillers want him to. He’s just there so they have someone to blame if something happens. Then, my job, derrickhand, he monitors the pits, shakers and mud pumps. Makes sure they are functioning right and fixes them when they don’t. He also treats the mud (drilling fluid) with the chemicals the mud engineer tells him to. Then comes the motorhand. He is the toolpushers slave who does anything and everything the pusher or driller tells him to. He takes care of the paperwork, the generators, and he lines out the floorhands. Which is the next position, at the bottom of the totem pole. Floorhands do it all. They help the derrickhand and motorhand with anything and everything that needs done and alson keep the rig clean aand orderly while drilling. It is at times the dirtiest profession out there. If you’re afraid of a little mud, you definitely need to stay away from drilling, because you won’t last five minutes.

What does a typical work week look like for a Derrickman?

Well for starters, nowadays the typical work week is two weeks long. You work for two weeks, then you get two weeks off. I know it sounds too good to be true, but trust me. Spend 14 days on one 5 acre location with ten other dudes in the middle of no where, work on a rig 12 hours a day, lose a bunch of sleep at night and tell me if you don’t need 14 days away from it.

Knowing that the gas that is heating yours and everyone else’s homes, the fuel in yours and everyone else’s trucks, it comes from what you do. Heck it could even come from a well that you drilled. Knowing that the world literally revolves around your job.[is what's most rewarding]

Anyways, you never know what to expect when you come back to work. The other side may have busted their butts and got stuff done and got the rig moved. Or they may have not. Now you’re stuck with another 1,000 ft to drill and stuck with a 3-4 day rig move. Coming to the rig on the first day or night, you should be able to map out what your hitch is going to be like. But you’ll never know until you get there.

How did you get started?

I was working in a shop for a small contract company in Houston, Tx building rigs for the drilling company I work for now. I had a really good friend that worked for the drilling company as a safety rep, so he talked with all the pushers for every rig before it left the yard. I asked if there was any way I could get on a rig, and the first one going to North Dakota had an opening. Here I am now.

What do you like about what you do?

The one thing I love the most about my job is goin up in the Derrick when we trip pipe. Standing on the board 80 ft from the rig floor and about 130 ft from the ground, and no one around me, no bs, it’s clean, I can listen to my music up there. It’s just awesome compared to the floor. It’s dirty, oil base mud everywhere, driller yelling at you from the doghouse. It doesn’t really suck, but it sucks. Tripping pipe is when we pull all the pipe out of the hole, 94 ft sections at a time, change out a bit or a tool on the bottom, then put all the pipe back in the hole. The drill pipe is all standing up in the Derrick, and I’m the guy that puts it there and takes it out.

There’s really no way to explain it other than to show you or let you try it. If you’re on this site, that means you have Internet. Go to YouTube and look up tripping pipe on an oil rig. That’s the best way I know to explain it. Another thing, like I said earlier, is some of the reactions you get when you tell someone what you do for a living. A lot of men you meet are jealous, or curious about the industry. Everyone wants to know how you do it, what you do out there, how do you “make hole.” And women always love roughnecks. They’re always interested in what we do and a lot of other things. You’d be surprised at how much attention you’ll get at a party or a bar when someone mentions what you do for a living.

What do you dislike?

There’s only one thing I hate about my job. Okay, there’s a number of things, but the one I hate the most is the fact that I have to spend over half my life 1600 miles from my home. My family, my friends, my town. Other than that I can deal with anything that rig can throw at me. I don’t necessarily enjoy getting covered, and mean literally, dripping wet from head to toe with oil base mud, or getting choked out of the hopper house because a floor hand likes to dump sacks of chemicals in the hopper too fast, or dealing with pump problems or valve washouts or busted shaker screens. But it’s all part of the job. It’s what I signed up for and I knew it when I did. When everything’s running smoothly, everything’s clean and working right, it’s probably the most laid back easy going job out there. And I love every second of it. Wouldn’t trade it for the world. Unless a job at home with more money and more time off came up. But you’d be hard pressed to beat this job for money or time off.

How do you make money/how are you compensated?

Ahh yes, compensation. Money all depends on where you work at. Not job title, I’m talking about what part of the country, or the world you work in. I’ve found that the further north you are , the more money there is. There is A LOT of money to be made in the oilfield. Anywhere from $50,000 a year to well into the six digits. Everyone has to work their way up tho, and it’s not a cakewalk.

How much money do you make as a an oil Derrickman?

As a derrickman in North Dakota I make $32 an hour. My rig does get some bonuses, and we get a few extra hours a week due to safety meetings. My W2 for last year says $104,782. I’m 22. This is definitely something you want to get into while you’re young.

How much money do you make starting out?

In south Texas, floormen (the entry level position) make from $18-$22 and hour. Where as in North Dakota floormen make from $26-$31 an hour. And we get at least 84 hours a week. But it’s only for two weeks a month. Starting off can be anywhere from $50,000 a year to $80,000 a year. Also you get mud pay. If there is oil base mud in your pits for five minutes of that tour, you get an extra amount of money for that day. Usually about $25-$50, not much but it adds up. And let’s not forget bonuses. If you drill a well faster than predicted, or use less materials, or just do it safely, you get bonuses depending in who you’re drilling for. Some rigs get them, some rigs don’t. But bonuses range from a measly $50 Walmart gift card to a check for $2,000 out of no where. And the wages just go up from floormen. Where else can you work half the year and make almost six figures starting out? That’s right, no where. I told you it’s an awesome job.

What education, schooling, or skills are needed to be a Derrickman?

In all actuality, you don’t even have to have a GED to do this job. In fact a lot of the industry never finished high school, or middle school. There is no educational boundaries for drilling. All you need is a strong back and a lot of common sense. If you’re good at taking direction, you’ll excel as a floorman. And if you can show a knack for getting things done, figuring stuff out on your own, using what you have to get it done, good planning, quick learning, stuff like that, you’ll shoot straight to the top.

What is most rewarding about this job?

Knowing that the gas that is heating yours and everyone else’s homes, the fuel in yours and everyone else’s trucks, it comes from what you do. Heck it could even come from a well that you drilled. Knowing that the world literally revolves around your job. Without oil and gas, there would be no economy, no industry, no production, no progress. Without the oilfield, the world would collapse. Plain and simple. The brotherhood of your crew, your rig, and the entire batch of oilfield trash in the oil patch. There’s nothing like it, you could be from east Texas and meet someone from Billings, Montana. Never seen them before. But if both of you work rigs, you’ll have instant common ground. Because they know what it’s like. They know what you deal with and vice versa.

What is most challenging?

There’s times when it’s challenging to figure something out, or to get something built, or to get something just to work. Sometimes it’s a challenge to keep yourself from hitting someone. Especially when that someone almost just got you and the entire rig burned to the ground. The entire job is challenging. To learn it, to know it, understand it, and to do it. It’s not easy. It takes a special breed of human to do what we do day in and day out. But it’s one of the funnest careers other than being a pro athlete that I can think of.

What advice would you offer someone considering this career?

First off, I’d say good luck getting in. I know how hard it is to get hired. Second off, I’d say abandon all your fears. You can’t be afraid of anything on the rig. Respect everything, but do not fear it. Once you fear something, you’ll hesitate to do it. And if you hesitate, it could kill you or your coworkers. Don’t be afraid to get dirty. No matter what the task, no matter how minuscule, dirty, confusing, or or down right hard it is, be willing to do it. Volunteer to do it. If you see something that needs doing, don’t wait to be told. Take initiative, it’ll help. Don’t be afraid to take orders. And most of all, don’t let no one, I mean no one, walk all over you or push you around. It’ll be the death of you and your career.

How much time off do you get/take?

The set schedule on US land is usually either 7 days on, 7 days off or 14 days on, 14 days off. Forever. Off shore and international it’s either 14, 14 or 28, 28. Unless you’re asked to work over, which you can accept or decline. But I’d do it every time they ask because you never know when you might need the money, and after the first time you decline working over, they’ll never ask you or let you work over again.

What’s a common misconception people have about what you do?

That we all do meth and get drunk on the rig. While we’re on tour. And out here a work shift is called a tour, but it’s pronounced tower, I know it’s weird. But it’s just an oilfield thing. There’s a lot of stuff like that out here. Anyways, we don’t do meth, or get on drunk on tour. At least not on the rig I work on. Some rigs are still like that, but you don’t find it hardly ever anymore. And a lot of people think that we pump the oil out of the ground and send it to gas stations. All we do is drill a hole. That’s it. Other people come in and set up production equipment, pump jacks and tree valves and what not. The big horse head looking things that go up and down in corn fields ARE NOT CALLED OIL DERRICKS. Those are pump jacks.

THE SHOW BLACK GOLD IS NOT REAL, I REPEAT THE SHOW BLACK GOLD IS NOT REAL. Some of the stuff they do is possible, but it’s mostly a caked up Hollywood dog and pony show. Real roughnecks laugh at that show the same way loggers laugh at the show axe men. It’s reality tv at its best, and it sucks. I could go on for days about things that people think they know about the oilfield, but there’s not enough room here and I dont think I can use that kind of language on this thing.

What are your goals and dreams for the future?

My dreams are long gone, after I got hurt in college I gave up on my dreams and went to work. My future goals are to be a company man one day. Sit in a trailer on the side of a location, tell people how I want my hole drilled and make $2,000 a day.

What else would you like people to know about what you do?

This job, this lifestyle, will change you. Once you are imbedded in it, you will not be the same person. If you’re looking to get into it, just be ready. Because whether you’re ready or not, it’s probably going to slap you in the face and be the rudest awakening of your life when you get there.

Thanks alot fr ur life experience in oilfeild, is really touching n inspiring cuz of the pay involve in it, i have a litle experience in oil and gas that is really making me hav passion fr oilfeild job, please i really want to go into oilfeild job in any country irrespective of the changellenges i dnt mind. please can you give me a link of any company to apply wth or help me to apply wth any company you kwon around, this are my contact 07032114851,09092779685. my mail, manivic4sure@gmail.com, please i dnt mind undergoing any training of a lower cost on my own. thanks

I am 24 yrs Indian young person completed Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical , i have an 2 yrs exp in oil and gas field in fabrication company in oman, where the tanks are fabricated to be used in oil rig site. I am looking for jobs in rig site, can anyone help me what kind of job is suitable for me and let me how to apply ? please reply me with positive answer. if there is any website let me know that.

Hello….i am pursuring my carrer B.E petroleum engineering i will graduate in2012-2016… i would like to apply vacanies for drilling engineer i am hard worker and stress free person…. my mail id;lovemartialarts01@gmail.com hope i will get an positive approach towards from your side

Would like an entry level job in the oil field I’m not picky about what I do I also have a clean CDL ..just want a career in the oil business please give me a call at 8328944321802 start immediately will work anywhere do not have any kids or family to tie me down can move immediately….Buck.

i have 7 years of experience in oil field.if you have any vacancy for derrick man just call me on this number : 09909448202/09724891987.i am ready to work with you.
my mail id is : manzilshah77@gmail.com

youngman 20 years old looking to get a start in the oilfield. onshore or offshore. twic card ready, no driving record with a license, no criminal history. willing to relocate and travel. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get into this career field. if you have any info or leads please contact me. I’m in the Houston area 832-718-3405 or by email colonjr94@gmail.com I’ve applied to applications via company websites but no luck.

Hi, my husband recently got promoted to derrickman
They moved him from the location he was originally
And evrything was fine.five years working for this company
We were happy. But the floorhand man on that rig
had his eye set on that opening and because he blows the company man
This fat nasty money hunger man they pulled my man of the top
I want to know if you work on a rig and a superattendant promotes you
To derrikman don’t they have to train you up to at least the first hitch
And also can he go to hR about it cuz he feels discrimination
He knows how to do the job and has the back bone and
Commen sense for the mixing fixing and flexing what do we do

I am interested in working in the oil fields as a entry man level floorman. I keep going to websites and it’s like I get the run around if I don’t apply for a company could u help me find a few company names so I could apply? Thank you very much. I think I have what it takes, anything to support my family. You could also reach me at this number as well +234-8062-675201,Email:cliffordomas@gmail.com (Nigeria) Thanks again

That is an awesome explanation. I’m 14 and that is what my dad does, he is a derrickhand. And every time someone asks me what my dad does for a living and they give me a weird look, I don’t know how to explain it. But now thanks to this I do. And this may sound annoying and stupid, but thank you.

and my dad is always talking about the hardest thing to do is being away from his family, and let me tell you coming from his oldest daughter it has always been hard on me to but now I understand. And now my dad is BIG and STRONG! It is great and he just loves to have fun. I want to thank you for giving me a good explanation to tell my friends when they ask!

Most of us know… You have to know someone to get on a rig!! I live in Oklahoma & looking to relocate to the Colorado area. Not many companies here service Colorado area so I’m taking a shot in the dark here in faith that all my good deeds in life will pay off today. I have 7 yrs exp. DERRICK safety first & always drug free! Any website (or) email I can submit a application or resume to would be very greatful to me & my family…. Kevin80williams@gmail.com

Actually, you don’t have to know someone. You just have to know what you’re doing and know how to talk to the folks doing the hiring. Granted, if you want to move up the ladder faster or get away with doing stupid sh*t, the phrase is “it’s not what you know, but who you blow” or “you gotta give head to get ahead”. I have a little over 5 years experience in the patch, ranging from floors to derricks to brake handle (or joystick, if you’re familiar with millenium rigs or air-brake control systems.) It would certainly help out if I knew somebody at the yard here that I just came back to after 7 years so I didn’t have to go back to the derrick. lol

I am 39 and looking to change careers and go in to the oilfields as a floor hand. Looking at all the oilfield job websites, they have not been very helpful. Do you think it would be better to just go to the company and inquire there…having my resume on hand?

Try ringzone.com find the companies that best fit you click their link for that specific company’s website and use their home page for sending an app or resume……call and be persistent …….squeaky wheel gets the grease …….another thing peak hiring season mostly the first few months of the new year that’s when all new contracts start rolling in…….if your close to a home office defiantly stop in and make yourself known to upper management not just the lady at the front desk…..good luck on your journey….and when you do find yourself on a rig exhausted and burnt out take your hard hat off and look at the picture of your family… it helps. Signed 5year roughneck.

Absolutely. Find the companys headquarters or a yard and go directly to them. A lot of my buddies did that and they got hired. You’ll just get the run around if you go to the website or a rig site unless the rig is in dire need of hands. Hope this little info helps..

I’m 18 I just got hired today at nabors and I start training beginning of January. Any tips on getting started a far as what not to do. I’ll be working in North Dakota I’ve lived here my whole life so I’m used to this cold that seems to drive most of the outta staters away.

I am 34 years old and recently quit my job working in a warehouse. so that I can pursue working on an oil rig full time. I have my TWIC card I’m just having a hard time finding a company to get started with. Any help you can give me would be appreciated.

My husband got offered a entry-level floorhand position for a major company in ND. But unfortunately due to a unfortunate situation he had to pass it up. Now that things are back to normal he’s going for it again. I figure the fact that he was wanted before. He has what it takes. In fact…we know he does because he’s the hardest working man I honestly know. Not to mention smart. He’s been in construction for close to ten years and CPR certified, class B CDL and OSHA certified. So any tips or names you can provide would be greatly appreciated! Also. What is the peak hiring season? My email is allyjud1983@gmail.com Thank so much!

Sorry…. my correct email is allyjudd1983@gmail.com again. It was truly heart breaking when it didn’t work out the first time. He worked really hard to get that offer. But he’s not giving up on his dream of providing security for his wife and kids. And thank you for the insight of being a roughneck

The oilfield is unlike any other business. Just about the ONLY excuse for not showing up or declining an offer would be the death of immediate family…wife, child, brother, mother, father. Extended family like cousins, aunts, uncles, even grandparents, are not valid excuses to not show up, or refuse a job offer. There are no holidays, birthdays, weddings, etc in the oilfield. Meaning you do not get to take off for such things unless they happen to fall on your scheduled days off.

I would suggest that your husband NOT tell any potential drilling company he applies with that he turned down a job offer. Some companies MAY not care, but most will disqualify him on the spot if they know he refused a job offer from another company. Unless it was one of the aforementioned deaths.

The work we do isn’t for everyone to be sure. It takes a special kind of person to actually get a job, then stick with it. The derrick hand in the article talks about how people are curious and interested in the work we do. This is true in a lot of instances. However, he failed to mention we are also hated by a great many people. Simply because we work in the oilfield. Every roughneck I have ever worked beside likes the following term, “Oilfield Trash”. However, this term was not placed upon us as a term of endearment. Many people despise the ground we walk on.

I would say if your husband is serious, a tough SOB, with a mindset of get it done, can do anything asked of him like it is the most important task he will ever do, with a great attitude when being yelled at, can work when he should be in the hospital, and is happy to do it, can be away from family and friends for extended periods…keep trying for that coveted oilfield job. He will miss a lot, but he will gain so much as well. Money isn’t everything. And chances are if he does this thing….he will end up divorced in 5 years, if not sooner. Unless of course you have what it takes to be a roughnecks wife. Trust me Ma’am, it takes a special kind of woman to be an oil field mans wife!

I wish for job position in an oil rig in any country.
Am 31 years old young professional with over 10 years working experience in Oil and Gas industry (ENGINEER), Sales and Marketing and Procurement management working with different cultures and ages. I was involve management recruitment process and my achievement was greatly appreciated.
I welcome this position available as at now.

Currently am in South Africa self employed.
Am available any time, thank you and hope to here from you soon.
You can reach on +277835711782

Am a young man of 29yrs old, with a lot of energy to work as a good team player in the oil and gas industry. I’ve completed my course in welding and in basic drilling rig technology on July 8, 2013. I can work as a Floorman in any part of the world. Please contact me on this-08179721500.

Am a young man of 29yrs old, with a lot of energy to work as a good team player in the oil and gas industry. I’ve completed my course in welding and in basic drilling rig technoly on July 8, 2013. I can work as a Floorman in any part of the world. Please contact me on this-08179721500.

I am interested in working in the oil fields as a entry man level floor man. I keep going to websites and it’s like I get the run around if I don’t apply for a company could u help me find a few company names so I could apply? Thank you very much. I think I have what it takes, anything to support my family. You could also reach me at this email naveedjafar@hotmail.com

Hey man, I don’t know where you live but check into more than just rig jobs, have you ever thought of being a safety rep? I just got hired on for the job due to a fairly new company in my area (Enersafe) I don’t know a whole lot about it but have heard some good things. Company truck, per diem, expense account, etc. No roughnecking, just coming out to rigs and I believe giving piss test and checking stuff out to make sure its in order and I think giving safety meetings. Im from East Texas and I don’t know where you live but Enersafe has a few diff types of jobs, none of them pertaining to actually being on the rig roughnecking etc. Im excited about the whole thing, cause I applied about 4 months ago and thought they forgot about me after I called and bugged the piss out of them and I just gave up. OOOHHHHH, how could I forget, one other thing, go ahead and find a way to get your H2S gas safety training done and out of the way and get certified. Its not much $ at all and only takes one day to do it. Find someone in your area who offers the training and get it done, that and that alone is the only reason I got my job above others who are waiting before me good luck

hello every one hope you are fine and in good health i m 26 years old. i have done B.com 14 year education i have worked in banks n telecom sector now i want to do job in oil fields please guide me ON Rig
how i apply for this job ?
any requirement for this job ?
any courses needed
Regards,
Naveed Jaffar
email:- naveedjafar@hotmail.com
+92345-8885047

I am working in oil field Production well services. I am a derrick man. My working experience is five years.
If you have any vacancy of derrick man i am ready to work with you. Please call me 099570769 and email is:sarmah_p@ymail.com
Thank you.

Been yrs since I worked on rigs in ND. I can see that very little has changed. I can attest to the accuracy of this article (as far as description). Like he said, definetely not for everyone. – Can be very physically demanding at times.. One thing not mentioned, North Dakota gets very very COLD – at times the wind blows so hard at subzero temps, exposed flesh can freeze in seconds. Accurate and objective interview. Should have a little more respect for that drillers job though.. you have to be one before toolpusher/company hand right? lol…Well done, and good luck getting that company hands job.

If there is anyone that could help me with email addresses for companys please I would appreciate it I’m in south africa and seriously looking for work on oil rig iv done survival and fire fighting course and I’ve got all my certificates for welding thank u and god bless

Working in Canada as a non camp roughneck I cleared 11540 cad. And that was working 30 days straight. We get 140 a day tax free living allowance if you live further than 80 km from the rig. On top of that 30$ an hour for first 44 hrs and time and a half for anything after. We work 12 hrs days 14 on 7 off. Driller clears 8000$ on 14 day hitch.

I work for an offshore drilling company and I can relate to a lot of what the interviewee said. I work overseas and work a schedule of 28 days on, and 28 days off…thats almost a month of freedom and this is every other month. I’m not a roughneck though. I’m a materials person and I’m at a desk most of the day behind a computer if I’m not receiving or stocking spare parts needed for the rig. This job also doesnt require much education. Since I’ve been with this company I’ve been able to work in places like Singapore, Egypt, Australia and the opportunities for places to see are pretty much endless. Basically where ever there is a hole to be drilled offshore anywhere on the planet, some offshore company will be hired to do it and it could be the company you work for.

The biggest drawback is being away from family. If you have a family this can be very difficult to manage. But for a single person, this could be a dream job because the company will pay to fly you to and from work from any single point in the world. Right now I live in Kansas, but i’m working my 28 days in Australia, but if I decide I want to spend two weeks of my 28 days off in South Africa or any certain place, my company will fly me to South Africa but if I want to go back to Kansas that flight is on me. But if I want to stay the whole 28 days in South Africa or any one place, they’ll fly me back to Australia for work on my normal rotation, all at company expense. So if I was single, this could be the job of dreams.
Ofcourse the pay varies for different positions, but I’d say the minimum pay for working on a rig anywhere overseas is at least $100k/year, minimum, otherwise its not worth it in my opinion. So, roughly 5 months of vacation a year and make at least $100k…..not many jobs out there like it………but its still a HUGE sacrifice to work 28 days straight and be away from your family.

Hi I just want to know how can I get my resume to the company that u work for I live in south africa and I thought to ask u coz u spoke about south africa if u could help me in any way possible I will gladly appreciate it my email address is marc8605@gmail.com thank u and god bless hope u enjoy the rest of your time on the rig

Hi Brandon,
Please which company are you working with.I live in Canada(Newfoundland).I had my Basic Survival Training (BST)that will enable me to work offshore and also i had the folling certificates : Rigpass, (OH&S) Occupational Health & Safety:WHMIS: or HAZMAT,Standard First Aid & CPR,Forklift Operator Safety Training:Enform (PITS) H2S Alive® or H2S Awareness:Confined Space Entry:Basic Fire Safety:Fall Protection & Scaffolding:Hoisting & Rigging Safety:Hope to hear from you soon.

Thank you for giving a personal perspective to your life around his vital American job!
It has inspired me to take the step and travel to North Dakota. Right now I work for telecommunications company that has us on the clock 12-14 hrs a day 6-7 days a week.
Life is hard as it is, I figure I might as well get paid well for the hard work I do.
Thank you!

I am interested in working in the oil fields as a entry man level floorman. I keep going to websites and it’s like I get the run around if I don’t apply for a company could u help me find a few company names so I could apply? Thank you very much. I think I have what it takes, anything to support my family. You could also reach me at this number as well 847-418-0521. Thanks again